Embossed fabric product and method of making the same



April 5, 1932- E. E. GEORGE 1,852,964

' EMBOSSED FABRIC PRODUCT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Nov. 25,1929 s Tl] gwdankw Patented Apr. 5, 1932 NJUNI'VTED STATES PATENT OFFICE"EDGAR E. GEORGE, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BUTTONLESS TIRE COVERCOMPANY, OF CANTON, OHIO, A CORIE ORATION OF OHIO raised EMBOSSED FABRICPRODUCT AND My invention relates to fabric products which have embossedor impressed therein Characters and/or configurations which may comprisedesigns, reading matter,

and the like.

Such fabric products used in large quantities include automobile tirecovers, and the tire covers usually have a design applied theretotogether with the name. of the tire dealefi; or the like.

When the design and printed matter is embossed on the tire cover, it hasa superior appearance to that attained by merely painting the design andprinted matter thereon.

Coated fabrics includethose known to the trade as enameled drill,sat-sens, muslins, and ducks, and the enamel coating on the same mayinclude a graphite filler or base mixed with linseed-oil and applied tothe fabric under controlledtemperatures and pressures.

These enameled fabrics are less expensive. than another class of coatedfabrics, known as pyroxylin fabrics.

The more expensive pyroxylin coated fabrics are adapted for beingembossed between dies for forming designs and printed matter in reliefin the fabric.

The dies are usually heated, and the resulting embossed fabric presentsan attractive appearance on the coated side thereof, and the outersurfaces of the raised portions of the letters and the design mergesmoothly with the outer surface of the adjacent coating, after theprinted matter and design have been embossed or impressed in the,pyroxylin fabric,

Because of the aforesaid relatively high cost of the pyroxylin coatedfabrics, it 'is' desirable to emboss or impress the less expensiveenameled fabrics, but experts in the art have heretofore declared it tobe impossible to satisfactorily emb'oss or impress an enameled fabricWithout breaking the continuity of the coating ofjthe raised charactersand configurations with the adjacent coating on the remaining portionsof the fabric.

It has moreover been considered-practically impossible to make apermanent emboss- -mg or impression in enameled fabrics, re'- gardlessof the'surface characteristics of the METHOD or MAKING THE sm I 1Application filed November 23, 1929. Serial No. 499,306.

same, the 'usual. experience being that the raised characters andconfigurations of the printed matter and designs ,Would not remainpermanently formed in the enameled'fabrics.

The objects of the present invention in- .out the improved methodhereof, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part hereof,in which 7 Figure 1 is a view looking towards the surfac normallypresented to the eye of a piece of the improved embossed fabric, theembossing comprising a design and printed matter;

Fig. 2, a sectional view thereof as on line 22, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3, a rear View thereof.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The improved embossed fabric indicated generally at 10 comprisesanembossed laminated structure including one outer com pound lamina 11comprising a sheet of coated enameled fabric, the outer surface 12 ofthe enamel coating 13 of the same being the surface which is' intendedto be exposed to view.

. The fabric side 14. of this compound outer lamina 11 is backed by alamina 15 of thermo- 3 plastic and preferablyadhesivemateriahsuch' asglue, and the lamina of thermo-plastic material is preferably interposedbetween the lamina 11 comprising the coated fabric, and

a lamina 16 ofpaper or the like.

The resulting laminated structure'is sufficiently rigid to maintainpermanently the embossed or impressedprinted matter and design 17 intheenameled fabric.-

' The improved method of making the aforesaid improved embossed fabricincludes carrying out the following steps;

First, moistening the out\er surface of the fabric side of a sheet ofthe enamel coated fabric;

Second, applying a lamina of thermo-plastic material, preferably gluewhich may be 5 in the form of a lamina of glue preapplied on one side ofa lamina of paper;

Third, embossing or impressing the desired characters and configurationsthrough all the laminas by applying pressure and heat to the moistenedfabric and the thermo-plastic lamina thereon as by means of embossingdies between which the laminated structure is interposed.

The step of moistening the fabric provides for the release of sufiicientsteam when the pressure is applied to the opposite surfaces of theseveral laminas by the heated dies, so

that the coating of the enameled fabric is softened and smoothly flowsto the desired high and low portions of the characters andconfigurations.

Upon removing the embossed laminated structure from the dies and uponcooling, the enamel coating and the thermo-plastic lamina sets, and theembossing is permanently maintained in the fabric.

When desired a fabric such as muslin or cheesecloth may be used insteadof the paper backing lamina.

I claim:

1. The method of making embossed coated fabric products which includesmoistening the fabric of a sheet of coated fabric, applying a lamina ofthermoplastic material to the fabric, applying a lamina of fibrousmaterial to the thermo-plastic lamina, and embossing the fabric andlaminas by heating and pressure forming them together.

2. An embossed coated fabric product including a sheet of coated fabric,a lamina of thermo-plastic material, and a lamina of fibrous material,the fabric and laminas being thermo-plastically formed and engaged witheach other.

3. An embossed enamel coated fabric product including a sheet of enamelcoated fabric, a lamina of thermo-plastic material, and a lamina offibrous material, the enamel coated fabric and the laminas beingthermo-plastically formed and engaged with each other.

4. The method of making embossed fabric products which includessuperposing a lamina of thermo-plastic material and a lamina of fibrousmaterial upon one face of a sheet of fabric, and embossing the fabricand the laminas applied thereto by heating and pressure forming themtogether.

5. The method of making embossed enamel coated fabric products whichincludes superposing a lamina of thermo-plastic material and a lamina offibrous material upon the fabric face of a sheet of enamel coatedfabric, and embossing the fabric and the laminas applied thereto byheating and pressure forming them together.

6. The method of making embossed enamel coated fabric products whichincludes superposing upon the fabric face of a sheet of enamel coatedfabric a lamina of fibrous material having a thermoplastic coatingthereon, and embossing and engaging the fabric and the coated lamina byheating and pressure forming them together.

7. The method of making embossed fabric products which includessuperposing upon one face of a sheet of fabric a lamina of fibrousmaterial having a thermo-plastic coating thereon, and embossing andengaging the fa ric and the coated lamina by heating and pressureforming them together.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

EDGAR E. GEORGE.

